Everton land Franculino Djú in £22m coup, beating West Ham to prized striker
Everton have won the intense race to sign standout forward Franculino Djú from FC Midtjylland, seeing off late competition from West Ham United to seal one of the summer’s most eye-catching deals. The Merseyside club has paid an initial fee of £22 million (€25 million / $29 million) for his services, with performance add-ons that could lift the total further.
The 21-year-old Guinea‑Bissau international has been a dominant force in Denmark, firing Midtjylland to the 2023–24 Danish Superliga title and lifting the 2025–26 DBU Pokalen last term. He has also etched his name in club history as Midtjylland’s all-time top scorer in European competitions with 12 goals, and was Europe’s highest‑scoring teenager during the 2023–24 campaign – statistics that drew interest from across the continent .
Everton’s director of football said: “We tracked Franculino for well over a year; his movement, finishing and work rate fit exactly what we need. Beating strong competition shows how much this club means to players with real ambition. He is ready to light up the Premier League.”
Djú, who has put pen to paper on a five‑year deal, added: “Everton made me feel wanted from the start. This is a massive club with incredible fans, and I can’t wait to run out at Goodison Park and give everything to help push us up the table.”
West Ham had tabled a rival bid and held advanced talks, but Everton’s project and clear pathway to regular minutes convinced the forward to choose Merseyside. Djú will link up with his new teammates immediately for pre‑season training and could feature in friendlies later this month.
Supporters have hailed the capture as a major statement of intent ahead of the new campaign, confident his proven goalscoring record will make a telling difference in the top flight.
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